How Pornography Affects Marriage

Today we’re talking about a topic that isn’t as fun as our usual creative date ideas and romance tips. And I’ll freely admit, we’re a little nervous to venture into these unfamiliar waters. However, as a site dedicated to strengthening marriages, we feel strongly that it’s a topic that needs to be more openly and candidly discussed and studied. That’s why today we’re tackling the (sometimes uncomfortable and awkward) topic of…

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Pornography and How it Affects Marriage

Pornography is on the rise! Did you know that in 2013 porn sites received 450 million unique monthly visitors? That’s more than Netflix, Amazon, and Twitter combined! In fact, 30% of all data transferred across the internet is porn-related!1

Wanna hear some more staggering statistics? Every second 28,258 people are watching pornography on the internet, and every second $3,075.64 is being spent on pornography on the internet.2

We’ve Heard Your Questions

It’s no wonder then that we seem to be hearing a lot more about pornography. Recently, we’ve had been receiving more and more reader questions wanting to know…

It is true that ALL men look at porn?

Is it unrealistic to not want porn in your marriage?

Do porn-free marriages really exist?

Why does it matter if my husband looks at porn anyway?

Is porn a good way to spice up your sex life?

How do I deal with my spouse’s porn addiction?

Our post today is in response to all these questions. Our intent is not to get on a soapbox or start a debate, but to really look at the effects pornography has on relationships and, specifically, marriage. We all have our own personal moral and religious views on the subject, but for the purpose of this article, we’re going to be mainly focusing on what scientific research, studies, and surveys have discovered about the link between pornography and marriage.

Why all the Confusion?

So, why is there so much confusion about pornography? If you’re ever on social media you’ve probably noticed that there is a lot of debate and contradicting views when it comes to the topic of pornography. In just the couple of months that we’ve been researching and preparing this post, we’ve been amazed at the different, opposing information that is being shared online.

The truth is, what society is telling us about pornography is totally different from what research is telling us. No wonder there is so much confusion!

What Society Says About Pornography and Marriage

Here are just a few examples of what social media, magazines and newspapers have to say about porn…

ALL men look at porn.

Men can’t help themselves, it’s how they were built.

Looking at porn is normal and okay.

If he says he’s not looking at porn, he’s lying.

You should never ban porn from your relationship.

Women’s feelings don’t matter.

At least he’s not cheating on you.

If you don’t sext your man, he will look at pornography.

He’s watching pornography anyway, so you should join him.

You should join him so he doesn’t feel guilty for doing something wrong.

Porn is harmless.

However, as we looked at the real research and studies done on pornography, we found very different information!

What Science Says About Pornography and Marriage

The truth is…

Porn is NOT harmless! Porn is destroying marriages.

10 Ways Porn Puts Your Marriage in Danger

I don’t think anyone wants to put their marriage in jeopardy. In fact, we’ve heard from several readers that the only reason they “allow” porn in their marriage is to try to save or enhance it. They don’t want to push their husband away by putting “unrealistic expectations” on him or they want to “keep things exciting” so he doesn’t get bored. But the truth is, pornography is not saving or strengthening marriages, it’s destroying and weakening them!

Professors Jennings Bryant and Dolf Zillman have been researching the effects of pornography for more than 30 years and have concluded that when it comes to porn use “no rigorous research demonstrations of desirable effects can be reported.”3

Or in other words, in all the legitimate research they’ve studied over the years, they have found NO benefits to pornography- only damage.

Pornography Ruins Relationships

In 2004, Dr. Jill Manning found that 56% of divorce cases involved one party having an “obsessive interest in pornographic websites.”4 Similarly, the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers polled 350 divorce attorneys in 2003, where two-thirds of them reported that the internet played a significant role in the divorces, with excessive interest in online porn contributing to more than half of such cases.

That means that roughly 500,000 marriages annually are failing due to pornography!5

So, what is it about pornography that is leading to divorce? Well, it’s ten things actually.

1. Porn Breaks Trust in Your Marriage

According to numerous studies, prolonged exposure to pornography leads to a diminished trust between intimate couples.6

It really is no surprise. After all, pornography and secrecy go hand in hand. Most people who view pornography go to great lengths to keep it hidden. It’s most often watched late at night when their spouse is asleep or when they are home alone. Users are careful to lock doors, erase their internet history, and keep files and videos hidden with passwords.

Spouses are shocked and feel betrayed when they find out because they were so easily kept in the dark. They wonder what else is going on that they don’t know about. Even users who were upfront with their spouse about watching pornography admit that they hide how much and when from them. Deception is a common theme of pornography. In contrast, transparency is a common theme of strong marriages.

2. Porn Hinders Emotional Intimacy

Pornography leads to objectification rather than a meaningful interaction with another person.7

There’s a big difference between having sex and making love. Sex is about pleasure. Making love is about connection. Sex is about the body. Making love is about the person. Because a bonding hormone is released during sexual intimacy, it can be a wonderful and powerful way to feel closer to and connect with your spouse. However, if that hormone is released when your spouse is not present, that aspect of marital intimacy is lost.

3. Porn Destroys Self-Esteem

When men and women were exposed to porn, they were less likely to be pleased with their partner’s physical appearance, affection, and sexual performance.8

Not only does porn affect how users view others but it also affects how they view themselves. Porn users may find that not only do they see their partners in a less than “satisfying” way, but they start to think that they themselves are less attractive as well.8

Men who viewed a lot of porn were likely to say that they became more critical of their partner’s appearance and lost interest in sex with their partner as a result. Interestingly enough, twice as many women reported that their porn-watching spouses became more critical and that this criticism made the women less interested in sex.

Researches have found that porn consumers eventually compare their spouse or partner and themselves to images of porn models. Is it any wonder then that it destroys self-esteem? How can anyone live up to to the unrealistic expectations of porn’s perfectly airbrushed, surgically enhanced, and carefully photoshopped bodies? Some doctors even suspect that increased porn usage is the cause of the rise in women seeking plastic surgery to change their bodies!10

4. Porn Causes Selfishness

Pornography promotes selfishness. Seldom did I think of bringing sexual pleasure to my wife. I thought only about getting, not giving.11

Pornography, at its core, is all about selfishness and immediate gratification. The user focuses solely on getting and taking when he wants. In contrast, true marital intimacy is a giving of oneself. A relationship where one spouse is only interested in taking usually does not last very long. People who use porn regularly often have a hard time being gentle during lovemaking. Sex tends to be impersonal, rushed, and “forced.” There’s no foreplay. There’s no waiting to arouse someone. It’s just taking what you want.12

Here’s a little fact you probably don’t know – the least popular day for Americans to view porn is Thanksgiving Day.13

Interesting, considering that gratitude and selfishness are opposites.

5. Porn Demeans Women

Results showed that the more porn a man was exposed to, the more likely he was to prefer that women be submissive and subordinate to men.14

Pornography also changes the way men view women. Research has proven that just two sessions of one-hour exposures of R-rated sexual entertainment change men’s attitudes toward women. They begin to objectify women and no longer see them as individually unique or valuable because of the demeaning manner in which women and sex are portrayed.15

And that’s not even mentioning the porn that portrays women being dominated, abused, and enjoying it.

6. Porn Impairs Your Sex Life

Porn can lead to decreased sexual performance. A recent NoFap survey of pornography users found that 19 percent suffer from premature ejaculation, 25 percent are disinterested in sex with their partner, 31 percent have difficulty reaching orgasm, and 34 percent experience erectile dysfunction. After committing to no masturbation/porn, 60 percent of those on NoFap felt that their sexual functions had improved. And 67 percent had an increase in energy levels as well as productivity.16

So many people say that they use porn in an effort to “spice up” their sex life. However, research shows that it actually wrecks your libido. Not only is porn leading to bad sex, but some studies show that it’s taking away men’s ability to have sex at all. Recently, porn-induced E.D. is becoming more of a “hot topic.” In fact, about 60% of compulsive porn users reported erectile dysfunction in a brain scan study last year.17

7. Porn Leads to Marital Dissatisfaction

Research has found that after men are exposed to pornography, they rate themselves as less in love with their partner than men who didn’t see any porn.18

Here’s the thing: not only is porn a fantasy, but it also makes it harder for users to have real loving relationships.19

Pornography warps views about sex and relationships. It distorts views of men and women and changes sexual attitudes and behaviors. Because pornography is portrayed as easy and quick, marital sex is then viewed as complicated and too much work. As a result, romance dwindles.

8. Porn is a Gateway to Infidelity

Porn-free relationships are stronger, with a lower rate of infidelity. Their rate of infidelity was at least half of those who had watched sexual material alone and with their partners.22

It’s interesting that society tells us that if you don’t “allow” pornography in your marriage, you’ll push him away and drive him to infidelity. When in reality, pornography is linked to infidelity. That’s not even mentioning the fact that many people view pornography as infidelity in itself.

9. Porn is Linked to Depression, Stress and Anxiety

Men who have cyber sex have “alarmingly high” rates of clinical depression, stress, and anxiety.23

Recovering porn users continue to report a reduction in social anxiety as one of the most common improvements when they stop using Internet porn.24

10. Porn Alters Your Brain

Porn physically changes your brain. And here’s the really scary part: the more porn a person looks at, the more severe the damage to their brain becomes and the more difficult it is to break free.25

Yes, porn actually alters your brain. Scientists at Cambridge University recently studied the brain scans of porn addicts and found that they looked exactly like those of drug addicts. Just like other addictive substances, porn fills the brain with dopamine. And the more you view pornography, the more desensitized you become.

However, pornography is a little different than some addictions. Most alcoholics want more and more alcohol. But porn addicts don’t just want more porn – they want different porn. What was once exciting and arousing no longer satisfies them, and they look for harder and harder core porn. That’s why porn can become so addictive and that’s why porn never satisfies.

Often pornography users venture into progressively perverse content, which is why pornography is linked to violence and crime. This can be seen in the extreme example of Ted Bundy. (If you don’t know the story of Ted Bundy, I highly suggest watching his interview.) No, we’re not saying that every porn user will become a criminal, but we do think it’s important to understand the nature and danger of pornography.

In fact, when we sent out an anonymous survey, we heard back from lots of men who shared their thoughts on pornography. Here are just a few…

“I find it offensive when people say ‘Men can’t help it.’ Of course I can help it. I’m not an animal. I have my own choices. I can absolutely control myself and my actions. Why don’t women give us more credit than that?”

“Yes, I was exposed to pornography as a child and I did struggle with addiction. However, I hated the way it made me feel. I hated the way it made my wife feel. After a lot of hard work and communication, we’ve overcome it together. It has been over 10 years since I’ve watched pornography and I have never been happier. We have an amazing sex life and the thought of porn honestly disgusts me. So to answer your question, no not all mean look at porn.”

“There’s no room for porn in my life anymore. I’ve filled it all up with love for my wife. I’m not saying it was easy, but I’m so glad that I made the change. I honestly feel sorry for men who think pornography makes them happy. They don’t know what they’re missing.”

“No, I have honestly never intentionally watched pornography. I know people will say that I’m lying and won’t believe me, but it’s the truth. I was taught from a very young age of its dangers and I’ve always stayed far away. I’ve watched my best friend go through a divorce because of his pornography addiction and how it’s torn his family apart.”

“Pornography has no place in our marriage. It is just the two of us. I don’t need any other woman.”

We need to spread the message loud and clear that it’s okay to have higher expectations- it’s not unrealistic. And, for the sake of your marriage, you should!

Use Other Ways to Spice Things Up in the Bedroom

Using porn to spice up marital sex is self-defeating. Instead of being more attracted to and engaged with your spouse, the porn user will actually become more drawn to porn. You don’t need porn to make your marriage exciting, anyway! Fidelity and commitment are sexy. (I don’t know why society tells us it’s not.) Looking to add some excitement to the bedroom? Pick a new Bedroom Game or browse through our whole collection of Sexy, Intimate Ideas.

Now, let us be clear- we’re not saying that all marriages with pornography are doomed to failure! And we’re not saying that pornography isn’t a very real struggle for many men and marriages.

We know that there are many wives, husbands, and marriages that are hurting because of pornography. And we know that change is not easy or immediate. But we know it’s possible. And we know it’s worth it.

How to Overcome Porn Addiction

If pornography is a struggle in your relationship, here are some wonderful resources to get you started…

More from my site

Besides my hilariously witty husband, I love a good book, sappy songs, old black-and-white movies, cute crafts, and all things chocolate. I have four (seriously adorable) little kiddos at home and they definitely keep life at home FUN!

Recent Comments

Hi! First of all, love that you went after such a, “Hot topic”. This post was recommended to some girls in my support group for women with loved ones who struggle with addiction and I’m so glad to have read it! On a science level, you’re right- porn is exactly like a drug addiction and just as neurologically damaging. On a personal level- I know all too well how porn can affect a marriage. A few things you sort of touched on but didn’t talk to much about is that porn can also be used as an abusive, manipulation tool and it’s also the cause of the ongoing rise in sex trafficking. On the black market the top three things sold are: Guns, then drugs, then people. Porn, and the entire sex industry, is so dangerous. They took a very good (super fun thing!) and made it into a perverse, addictive, dangerous thing. Thank you for your well-researched and well-thought out article! 🙂

It really is such a sad and dangerous thing. Thank you so much for sharing your added insights, Leah! We’re sorry that you’ve personally felt the effects of it, but we’re so glad you’re a part of a support group for women and shedding light on it for others. Wishing you all the best! XOXO

Porn has been in my marriage for more years than I care to comment. I first found my husband’s stash when I recently found out I was pregnant with my son. That was in 2002. Then I saw the cookies in our computer browser in 2006… then again in 2008. A social worker told me because my hubby was going to Iraq that I should let him have his porn. The big D day was 2013. It has killed my self esteem. He said he stopped, we went to a marriage counselor… she told me he was doing well, I should just *trust* him. I told her, trusting him is how and why we are here. He gets a new phone, there’s no block on it. I tell him upfront how this makes me scared and apprehensive… he assures me… I literally catch him with his pants down this past November. It has eroded every last bit of trust and self esteem I have. We searched for another counselor. The VA told me that I am codependent. What a fecking joke. Codependent is what the base social worker told me… I am not his mother, I am not supposed to monitor and watch him like a child. I ammndlready have 2 children. I am so lost. If I could walk off a cliff, I would. But I have kids and it wouldn’t be fair to them. I feel trapped. I am so sad. I already have ptsd from and more violent upbringing. I was managing this. Now I’ve been told that my ptsd is back.

We are SO sorry to hear about your struggles and everything you’ve been through, Raine. We are well aware of the dangers of pornography on marriage and it truly is heart breaking. We have some resources we would love to pass along and we will email them to you!

Thank you for your excellent article. My 17 year relationship was destroyed by my partner’s obsessive and abusive (he told me that knowing I didn’t want him to do it, made him want to do it more) use of pornography and online sexual activities. We had several years of sex addiction therapy all at my request although he did not accept he had a problem and would not follow the treatment plan recommended. To cut a long and excruciatingly painful story short, one day in the midst of what I thought was our recovery journey and while on holiday at a luxury resort, he suddenly ended relationship. Just like that! Now he is with a woman he met at the local Thai massage parlor where he went for services. She is an immigrant and barely speaks English. So I can agree fully with everything you’ve said above from my lived experience. It is an insidious obsession that breaks hearts and robs souls and destroys relationships. Extremely sad. Thank you for your care in putting together such an informative article. A couple of resources I have found helpful are the Betrayal Trauma Recovery Group and the work of Dr Omar Minwalla. Their services and knowledge is outstanding.

Thank you for sharing your article! I’m sure you touched the hearts of many women! Your article said to please forward any resources on to you. Ours Facebook page is UnashamedByGrace. I work with spouses of the men going through porn recovery, and my husband works with the men. Thank you for giving us a shout out! It would be greatly appreciated. I will also profile your website to our followers as well!